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Florida’s safety net is shredded

in Statewide by

From Jacqueline Dowd: Florida’s safety net for people in need is shredding in the face of escalating demand and dwindling resources, says the head of the state’s United Way network. And Florida’s safety net is almong the nation’s weakest. Ted Granger, president of United Way of Florida, says social service agencies statewide are seeing more and more people who are homeless and hungry. The 211 referral hotlines are seeing increases of 50% to 150% over the last twelve months in…

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Florida Legislature takes steps to add the homeless to hate-crimes law

in Statewide by

Prompted by the 2006 homeless attack in Fort Lauderdale that gained worldwide notoriety, the Florida Legislature is moving to add the homeless as a protected class under state hate crimes laws. Senate and House committees approved legislation that would make prejudice-driven attacks against the homeless a hate crime, meaning longer jail sentences for offenders. The issue will get more consideration during the legislative session, which starts March 2. Florida has led the nation for four consecutive years in violent attacks…

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St. Petersburg makes The New York Times…for the wrong reason

in The Bay and the 'Burg by

“If you’re lying on a sidewalk, whether you’re homeless or a millionaire, you’re in violation of the ordinance,” a city attorney in St. Petersburg, Fla., said in June, echoing Anatole France’s immortal observation that “the law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges.” The rest of Barbara Ehrenreich’s must read op-ed here.

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Jamie Bennett sends apology letter

in Peter/The Bay and the 'Burg by

The text of the letter includes this paragraph: “I am writing to you today to make you aware of a change in our campaign. After clear evidence of broken trust, I found it necessary to replace our campaign manager. As many of you may be aware, he came to the campaign with a very negative background. I am a firm believer in forgiveness and giving people second chances. However, unfortunately, he made some very poor judgment decisions which reflected negatively…

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Of course I think Jamie Bennett should quit

in Peter/The Bay and the 'Burg by

I’ve been asked about 200 times what I think Jamie Bennett should do next. My answer is unquivocal: he should announce that he will stop running for Mayor of St. Petersburg. Put aside his actions or involvement in “Ticketgate,” although that is pretty hard to do. Bennett was fully aware that the tickets were being distributed to advance his political campaign. Him saying he had no knowledge of this or that is an insult to the voters of St. Petersburg.…

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Where are the candidates for City Council?

in The Bay and the 'Burg by

Around St. Petersburg’s City Hall, you can’t step over a homeless person without bumping into someone running for Mayor. With Larry Williams throwing his hat in the ring last week, there are currently nine people hoping to replace Rick Baker. Being a candidate for mayor is the only job sector in town that’s a growth industry. Where then are all the candidates for St. Petersburg City Council? There are five seats up for grabs this year, and currently there are…

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The end for SaintPetersBlog

Ever since I acquired the rights to the perfect domain for my efforts — FloridaPolitics.com — I knew that one

Monday Mayoral Wrap-up

in The Bay and the 'Burg by

That loud swooshing sound you hear is all of the oxygen being taken in this week before late-entry candidates Bill Foster and Kathleen Ford elbow their way into the mayoral conversation.In my analysis, there’s only room for one of these two candidates in the general election, although that doesn’t mean they should fight amongst themselves. In fact, I think that’s the last thing you’ll see out of these two. In their sights has to be quasi-establishment candidates Jamie Bennett and…

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